BACKGROUND There is ample epidemiologic and toxicologic evidence that exposure to fine particulate matter (PM) air pollution [aerodynamic diameter < or = 2.5 microm (PM(2.5))], which derives primarily from combustion processes, can result in increased mortality and morbidity. There is less certainty as to the contribution of coarse PM (PM(2.5-10)), which derives from crustal materials and from ...

The relationship between exposure to traffic induced particles, respiratory health and cardiac diseases was studied in the RHINE Tartu cohort. A postal questionnaire with commonly used questions regarding respiratory symptoms, cardiac disease, lifestyle issues such as smoking habits, indoor environment, occupation, early life exposure and sleep disorders was sent to 2,460 adults. The annual con...

BACKGROUND Few studies have investigated effects of air pollution on the incidence of cerebrovascular events. OBJECTIVES We assessed the association between long-term exposure to multiple air pollutants and the incidence of stroke in European cohorts. METHODS Data from 11 cohorts were collected, and occurrence of a first stroke was evaluated. Individual air pollution exposures were predicte...

Although the three mortality and air pollution studies in this issue of EHP contribute to the many previous studies that have evaluated day-today changes in mortality associated with air pollution, they do not provide substantial information on the specific pollutant or mix of pollutants responsible for the observed mortality effects or biological plau-sibility. For example, in the Santa Clara ...

BACKGROUND Blood pressure (BP) may be implicated in associations observed between ambient particulate matter and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. This study examined cross-sectional associations between short-term ambient fine particles (particulate matter <or= 2.5 microm in aerodynamic diameter; PM(2.5)) and BP: systolic (SBP), diastolic (DBP), mean arterial (MAP), and pulse pressure (P...

Epidemiology findings show that exposure to urban air pollutants as a source of oxidative stress and neuroinflammation is associated with the Central Nervous System (CNS) demyelinating diseases, such Multiple Sclerosis (MS). An autoimmune response involving increased inflammation demyelination in CNS leads pathophysiology MS, which more common adult young females. Particulate Matter (PM), inclu...

The variations of visibility, PM-mass concentration and mixing-layer height (MLH) in four major urban/industry regions (Shenyang, Anshan, Benxi and Fushun) of central Liaoning in Northeast China are evaluated from 2009 to 2012 to characterize their dynamic effect on air pollution. The annual mean visibilities are about 13.7 ± 7.8, 13.5 ± 6.5, 12.8 ± 6.1 and 11.5 ± 6.8 km in Shenyang, Anshan, Be...